Colorful and charming, these YW Camp Shrinky Dink keychains are simple to make and perfect for groups. There are multiple sheets with camp and Young Women–themed designs to choose from, so every girl can personalize her own charm.
I’ve coordinated crafts for our church Young Women’s Camp for five years. The camp serves girls ages 12–18, and I enjoy planning projects that are quick, affordable, and fun. Each year I choose two main crafts and several easy filler projects. Past main projects included stamped jewelry and leather bracelets; filler crafts have ranged from friendship bracelets to watercolor postcards. Shrinky Dink keychains make a great, low-cost filler craft because they’re fast, portable, and let each girl express her creativity.
Why I Like This Project
- Variety of options. There are printable shrinky dink sheets for adding photos or printed designs and standard shrink sheet packs for drawing and coloring. Printable sheets are convenient, but regular sheets are more budget-friendly and come in multiple sizes to reduce waste.
- Easy to make. Shrink art is quick and very approachable — an ideal craft for teens and large groups.
- Fun to customize. Girls can draw their own artwork or trace pre-printed templates for inspiration. Each set of templates includes multiple themed sheets for camp and Young Women activities.
What Others Are Saying
“Thanks for the new pages! Our girls loved them as well. The toaster oven is genius.” — Ashlie on FB
“These were a huge hit with my girls! Thank you!” — Kayla on FB
“Our girls LOVED doing these at camp last year—your designs are so cute! Thank you for making these!” — Courtney on FB
Tips and Tricks
- Use colored pencils or permanent markers. For groups, colored pencils or Sharpie-style permanent markers give reliable results and are easy to manage. They avoid smudging and offer bright, consistent color.
- Work on both sides of the sheet. Most shrink sheets have a shiny side and a matte side. Trace the outline with a black permanent marker on the shiny side, then flip the sheet and color on the matte side. This keeps the outline crisp and prevents bleeding.
- Punch a hole before baking. Use a standard hole punch to create the attachment hole while the sheet is still thin. After shrinking the plastic becomes too thick to punch easily.
- Use a toaster oven or regular oven. A small toaster oven is reliable and portable for camp settings. Heat guns work for some, but ovens give consistent results when making dozens of charms.
- Be patient during baking. Shrinky Dinks will curl as they heat and then flatten. That curling is normal — allow time for them to settle and fully flatten before removing from the oven.
Supplies
- Shrinky Dink sheets
- Toaster oven
- Scissors
- Permanent markers (fine-tip and ultra-fine-tip for outlining)
- Hole punch
- Jump rings (optional — 8mm works well)
- Key chains
- Printable tracing templates for inspiration
*Keychains often include small jump rings. If the charm hole isn’t cut close enough to the edge or the keychain ring is narrow, a slightly larger round jump ring makes attachment easier.
See the how-to section below for step-by-step instructions and timing.
How To Make Shrinky Dink Keychains
Step 1: Trace the design outline onto the shiny side of the shrink sheet using a black permanent marker.
Step 2: Flip the sheet and color the image on the matte side with colored pencils or permanent markers.
Step 3: Cut around your design, leaving enough margin to punch a hole.
Step 4: Punch a hole with a regular hole punch where you want to attach the ring.
Step 5: Place the cut charm on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 325°F (about 165°C).
Step 6: Bake for 1–2 minutes while watching carefully. The plastic will curl and then flatten.
Step 7: Once the piece flattens, let it bake an additional 20–30 seconds, then remove and allow it to cool completely before touching.
Step 8: Use jewelry pliers to add a jump ring and attach the keychain.
If a charm is slightly warped, press it gently under a bowl while it cools to flatten it fully.
Shrinky Dink FAQs
Curling is normal. The plastic will curl as it heats and then flatten. Watch it closely and allow it to settle; if it’s slightly warped afterward, flatten it with a bowl before it cools.
It’s much easier to punch a hole before baking. After shrinking the plastic becomes thick and is difficult to drill without specialized tools.
They make great charms for necklaces and bracelets, keychains, magnets, game pieces, and more — for camp favors or everyday accessories.
More Camp Crafts To Make
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YW Camp Tuck In Treats Printables
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Easy Metal Stamped Bracelets
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DIY Stretchy Morse Code Bracelets
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Acrylic Dog Tag Necklaces for YW Camp
Made this craft and loved it? Please leave a rating and comment to share your experience — it helps others find this easy camp project.
YW Camp Shrinky Dink Keychains
Equipment
- Toaster Oven
- Scissors
- Jewelry pliers
- Hole punch
Materials
- Shrink art sheets
- Permanent markers or colored pencils
- Jump rings (8mm recommended)
- Keychains
- Printable tracing templates (optional)
Instructions
- Trace the design outline onto the shiny side of the shrink sheet with a black permanent marker.
- Flip the sheet and color the design on the matte side with colored pencils or permanent markers.
- Cut the design out, leaving room to punch a hole.
- Punch a hole with a regular hole punch where you want to attach the ring.
- Place the charm on a parchment-lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Bake for 1–2 minutes, watching as the piece curls and then flattens.
- After it flattens, bake 20–30 more seconds, then remove and cool completely.
- Add a jump ring and attach the keychain using jewelry pliers.
Notes
Use colored pencils or permanent markers. These two options are the easiest for group settings and give clean, bright results.
Work on both sides of the sheet. Outline on the shiny side and color on the matte side to prevent bleeding and keep lines sharp.
Always punch holes before baking. The plastic thickens after shrinking and becomes difficult to add holes to without a drill.
Use a toaster oven for consistency. For camps or craft cabins a small toaster oven is portable and dependable when producing many charms.
Be patient while baking. The curling stage is normal; allow time for pieces to flatten.